How do you evaluate the impact of change orders on the project scope, schedule, and quality?

2 Assess the impact of the change order

Before agreeing to a change order, you need to assess its impact on the project scope, schedule, and quality. The scope is the extent of the work that needs to be done to deliver the project, the schedule is the timeline of the project activities and milestones, and the quality is the degree to which the project meets the specifications and standards. To evaluate the impact of a change order, you should consider how it affects the scope of work, the schedule of the project, and the quality of the project. Does it add, remove, or alter any tasks, deliverables, or requirements? Does it extend, shorten, or shift any deadlines, durations, or dependencies? Does it improve, degrade, or maintain the level of performance, functionality, or aesthetics? Answering these questions will help you assess the impact of the change order.

5 Implement the change order

After negotiating and documenting the change order, you need to implement it according to the agreed terms and conditions. To do this successfully, you should update the project scope, schedule, and quality baselines, and communicate the changes to the project team and stakeholders. Additionally, you should adjust the project budget, resources, and risk management plan, and monitor the performance and progress of the change order. Furthermore, you should track and record the change order activities and costs, and report the status and issues of the change order. Moreover, you should verify and validate the change order deliverables, and ensure they meet the specifications and standards. Finally, you should close the change order and obtain the acceptance and approval of the owner and the contractor.

6 Manage the change order process

The change order process is the set of procedures and practices that guide the identification, evaluation, negotiation, documentation, implementation, and closure of change orders. To ensure effective management of the process, it is important to define and document the change order process, assign roles and responsibilities for the change order management team, and develop and use a standard change order form. Additionally, a change order log should be maintained and updated, and change order requests should be reviewed and approved. Furthermore, the change order process should be communicated and coordinated, and the relevant parties and stakeholders should be involved in the change order decisions. Finally, the change orders should be prioritized and categorized based on their urgency and impact.